Is Hormone Therapy the Right Choice? Rhett Women's Center Helps Patients Decide

CHARLESTON, S.C. - April 30, 2015 - PRLog -- Hormones are powerful proteins in our bodies that control the way we feel. When there are deficiencies in hormone levels such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone or thyroid, we may experience a variety of negative symptoms.  Rhett Women's Center offers hormone therapy to their patients. http://www.rhettwomenscenter.com/hormones/  Led by Drs. Edmund Rhett, David Smith and NP Gene Blake, this Mt. Pleasant full service gynelogical practice helps women put the focus back on themselves.  A recent patient started hormone therapy and says the numbers don't lie.  At her yearly physical, her cholesterol dropped from 206 to 180.  The only change in her life was beginnng hormone therapy at Rhett Women's Center! Below RWC addreses some of the most common questions about hormone therapy.
There are so many places advertising BHRT. How do I make sense of all the choices?

The amount of information regarding BHRT can be overwhelming. Today's educated patients spend a great deal of time researching BHRT before they step foot in our office. We are glad they have done their homework.

Based on our experience we feel we can reach and sustain optimal hormone levels consistently with pellets, creams and pills. We have found that pellets provide the best symptom relief.

Is Insurance accepted?
Your office visit will be billed to your insurance, and you will be responsible for your deductible/copay. Most often, blood work is ordered to evaluate your hormone levels, and that will also be billed to your insurance. At a minimum, you will be seen for 2 office visits to allow you to get started on an individualized hormone regimen. You will get your hormones from a local compounding pharmacy or RWC (pellet therapy only). For creams and oral preparations, you will be subject to the pricing of the individual pharmacy. Please call our office for a full pricing sheet for pellet therapy and refer to our pricing sheet (http://www.rhettwomenscenter.com/resources/price-list/) online.

So what types of costs am I looking at to achieve hormone balance?
There is not a charge other than your deductible/copay for the office visits. Your visit will be billed to your insurance company. If you do not have insurance, the office visit is what a typical insurance company reimburses for a new or established patient visit. At the time of your visit our practitioners will discuss with you the best options for your treatment. This allows us to determine the type of testing we will need to do. Female hormones will be tested using blood work. Blood work best allows us to monitor patients using troches, oral progesterone or pellets, and creams. Insurance carriers view saliva testing of experimental nature and, therefore, do not cover this test. Blood work for those desiring pellets is billed to your insurance company and the usual copays/deductibles/co-insurance applies. We also routinely look at other aspects of your health other than just estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

Call our office for a complete pricing sheet.

How do I get started?
Simply call the office at 843-325-2210 for your initial consultation or request and appointment online at www.RhettWomensCenter.com. Your appointment will be scheduled with one of our qualified practitioners.

What happens at the first appointment?
Our practitioners will review your medical history and perform a physical exam, when indicated. They will then discuss which tests are indicated based on your age, symptoms, history and exam. Many of the common symptoms can be due to the sex steroids (estrogens, progesterone, testosterone), thyroid, or vitamin/nutritional deficiency. The only way to know which one is the culprit for your particular symptoms is to test. Thyroid studies (free T3, free T4, TSH, anti-thyroglobulin antibodies, thyroid peroxidase antibodies), iron levels. Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, insulin, lipid panel, hemoglobin A1C are all tests that are performed with blood tests. We will be discussing how we will test the sex steroids at the first appointment. Results can take between 1-3 weeks, depending on which testing is determined to be best for your specific needs. Our practitioners will review your results at the follow-up visit to explain the results.

What happens at the second appointment?
The second appointment is made for 1-3 weeks later, depending upon the testing method used, and is to discuss your individualized treatment plan. This visit lasts about 20-30 minutes with your provider.

Compounding Pharmacy. What is a compounding pharmacy?
A compounding pharmacy is the oldest type of pharmacy in the world: an apothecary with a pharmacist trained in formulating prescriptions on the order of a physician. This allows for a customized dosage strength made just for you. We work with several compounding pharmacies in the area and have established highly competitive pricing.

I already went through menopause. Do I need bioidentical hormones?
You may be done with menopause, but you are never done with hormones. If you have any symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, decreased libido, fatigue, insomnia, inability to lose weight, or mood symptoms, you may benefit from BHRT. Achieving optimal hormone balance not only provides symptom relief, but also protection from many common age- related diseases. By increasing bone density, decreasing visceral fat, increasing lean muscle mass, and providing cerebral protection patients using BHRT can potentially decrease their risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dementia.

Do you treat men?
Yes. We provide pellet therapy for men. We provide consultation, testing, and treatment for men deficient in testosterone and thyroid hormone.

How long will I be on BHRT?
As long as you want to experience the benefits of hormonal balance. With cessation of therapy, original symptoms will return.

Will you prescribe vitamins and supplements?
Absolutely! BHRT is only one piece of the puzzle for optimal health. We will recommend foundational supplements (multivitamins, Omega 3's, and probiotics) for everyone. Additional supplements such as iron, B vitamins, Vitamin D and adrenal support vitamins are used only based upon individual testing and needs. Many supplements may be purchased through our office.

Why is RWC BHRT program different?
How we measure and monitor hormones levels is a unique and more effective model of care. Also, determination of your treatment plan is more customized.

  Rhett Women’s Center is dedicated to improving the quality of life for women of all ages from adolescence to menopause. It is a full service gynecological office specializing in the treatment of abnormal menstrual bleeding, Bioidentical Hormone Optimization, and weight management. The focus is to provide cost effective, comprehensive medical care by experienced physicians and staff. With the only fully accredited gynecology surgery center in the area, Rhett Women’s Center can provide more affordable and minimally invasive procedures for patients in-house.